How Online Marketplaces Are Celebrating Small Business Month

Featured Sponsor

Store	Link	Sample Product
UK Artful Impressions	Premiere Etsy Store

May is the month to celebrate small businesses, and three major marketplaces have announced contests to show their support: eBay, Amazon, and Etsy, with some lucky sellers walking away with big prizes.

eBay sellers have a chance to receive $10,000 as part of eBay Up & Running Grants. eBay will award grants to 50 businesses and will also provide them with $500 stipends that can be used to purchase refurbished equipment on the eBay marketplace.

He eBay’s grant program was announced on May 1.and small business sellers have until June 9, 2023 to apply for a grant.

Businesses using Amazon’s B2B platform have the potential to receive between $15,000 and $25,000 as part of the Amazon Business Small Business Grant Program. Ten businesses will receive grants of $15,000; 4 finalists will receive $20,000; and 1 grand prize winner will receive $25,000. All 15 companies will also receive additional prizes, including Eeors and Kindle Scribes. To participate, US sellers must be an Amazon Business account holder and a small business brand owner with annual revenue of $1 million or less.

Applications for the grants opened on May 1 and businesses have until May 21 to complete the application. Starting June 15, Amazon Business customers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite entrepreneur to receive a grant.

Etsy sellers of both handmade. and vintage items have a chance to win between $1,500 and $25,000 as part of the Etsy Design Awards (“The Etsy”), explained as follows:

“The Etsy Design Awards (also known as The Etsys) is Etsy’s global awards program. Honoring the work of sellers around the world and across multiple categories, The Etsy celebrates Etsy’s global community of creative entrepreneurs and highlights their unique talents. Of the 150 finalists, one seller will be crowned the Etsy Design Awards Grand Prize Winner, while 15 others will be named Etsy Design Awards Winners in each featured category.

“We will also have two additional awards: the Etsy Winners’ Choice Design Award, selected by a panel of past Etsy Design Awards grand prize winners, and the People’s Choice Etsy Design Award, determined by a community voting, which will open when the finalists are announced in June.”

Etsy opened submissions on May 11, and sellers can apply until May 26.

eBay also held its annual DC Fly-in event last week, featuring eBay CEO Jamie Iannone explaining on social media that a dozen eBay small business sellers in Washington, DC, shared their stories with their members of Congress to influence policies affecting small businesses. The CEO wrote: “I’m proud that we can help amplify their voices and support entrepreneurship.”

Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is the co-founder and editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on e-commerce since 1999. She is a widely cited authority on marketplace sales and the author of “Turn eBay Data Into Dollars” (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book “Blogging Heroes” (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sept 2005-present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (March 2006-present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure in EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.